China-France: Xi calls for greater cooperation amid global instability

French President Emmanuel Macron was welcomed in China on Wednesday with a grand ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in the capital, Beijing, at the start of his three-day state visit.

His Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping called on France to work with Beijing to promote multilateralism, global solidarity, and cooperation.

“China is ready to work with France, always bearing in mind the fundamental interests of our peoples and the long-term interests of the international community, to overcome various disturbances,” said Xi.

He added that there should be open cooperation to ensure that the China–France comprehensive strategic partnership moves forward more steadily and effectively in the next 60 years.

The two leaders held wide-ranging talks on Thursday discussing issues including ending the war in Ukraine to redressing global economic imbalances.

Macron has been hoping to secure Beijing’s help to end the war in Ukraine

China, a major Russian trading partner, regularly calls for peace talks and respect for the territorial integrity of all countries, but has never condemned Russia for its 2022 invasion.

Macron is accompanied by a large business delegation on what is his fourth state visit to the world's second-largest economy.

The two leaders signed 12 cooperation agreements following their talks, covering population ageing, bilateral investment, nuclear energy, and panda conservation.

They will also travel to Chengdu in China’s southwestern Sichuan province, where Macron and Xi will have talks in Dujiangyan, home to one of the world's oldest irrigation systems.

The province is also where two giant pandas that China had loaned to France now live.